KJ Electric in DeWitt has signed an agreement to become the exclusive U.S. distributor of Bartec USA’s line of explosion-proof electric motors and controls.

Ken Jacobs, owner and CEO of KJ Electric, said the company will make Bartec control panels at its DeWitt facility and will distribute Bartec motors made in Norway and Slovenia.

The motors serve various industries, including the oil, gas, chemical and mining industries, where there is a potential for flammable gases, vapors and dust.

The agreement with Houston-based Bartec has the potential to increase KJ Electric’s sales by 30 percent, he said.

“It’s going to be a big increase to our overall business,” he said.

Jacobs said the agreement will result in a minimum of 10 new jobs at KJ Electric. The company has 104 employees, including 63 at its headquarters in DeWitt. It has branches in Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo and Rochester.